1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept generally relates to a portable computing device docking apparatus, and more particularly, to a portable computing device docking apparatus including an input unit and a portable computing device detachably mounted on the input unit, where a user command is input through the input unit to control the portable computing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In portable computing devices, for example, tablet personal computers (PCs) having a touch function, character input or the like can be freely performed without a separate accessory device.
However, when a user needs to input large amounts of characters to the tablet PC, for word processing or other purposes, due to a limit to input the characters to a screen through a touch method, the tablet PC is used in a state in which the table PC is docked with a docking apparatus including a separate keyboard.
With regard to portable computing device docking apparatuses, it is necessary to include a structure, by which a user may conveniently manipulate an interface between the table PC and the docking apparatus and change a mounting/detachment status of the tablet PC.
Various types of mountable/detachable structures used in the portable computing device docking apparatuses have been developed and released including a conventional locking structure. In the conventional locking structure, when a button provided around a mounting unit, on which the tablet PC of the docking apparatus is mounted, is pressed or pushed to one direction, a pair of hooks is interlocked with a separate connection member, and moves from a locking groove formed in a lower end of the tablet PC to a locking release position.
To separate the tablet PC from the docking apparatus through the conventional locking structure, a user must consistently press or push the button to one direction through one hand, and, at the same time, separate the tablet PC from the docking apparatus by pulling the tablet PC to a direction away from the docking apparatus, that is, to an upward direction, through the other hand.
However, since the button has to be consistently pressed or pushed to one direction through one hand until the tablet PC is separated, it is not easy for the user to separate the tablet PC from the docking apparatus through the conventional locking structure. As such, the conventional locking structure causes aggravated inconvenience to the user with respect to the separation operation of the tablet PC.